Montgomery man dissuaded from jumping off Ward's Bridge

MONTGOMERY — Town police said a 23-year-old Montgomery man threatening to jump from Ward's Bridge into the Wallkill River was successfully talked down by negotiators after about 90 minutes Tuesday morning.

By MICHAEL RANDALL

recordonline.com

By MICHAEL RANDALL

Posted Jul. 24, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2013 at 8:21 AM

By MICHAEL RANDALL

Posted Jul. 24, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2013 at 8:21 AM

» Social News

MONTGOMERY — Town police said a 23-year-old Montgomery man threatening to jump from Ward's Bridge into the Wallkill River was successfully talked down by negotiators after about 90 minutes Tuesday morning.

Route 17K at that location was closed at the height of the morning rush hour, forcing commuters and other traffic to take detours.

Eastbound traffic, for example, had to take River Road north to Walden, where they could turn around and come back south on Route 208.

Montgomery police Lt. Alexander Landolina said the man, who appeared to be highly intoxicated, climbed to the top of the span — about 75 feet above the river — and repeatedly threatened to jump.

State police — including negotiators — responded to the scene along with town and village of Montgomery police and state Department of Environmental Conservation police, after the man was first spotted on the bridge around 7 a.m.

"We were all trying to convince him to come down," Landolina said.

Eventually, the man was convinced to come down to a point where a DEC police officer was able to grab his pant leg, and then other officers were able to remove him from the bridge.

The man, whose name police did not release, was taken into custody under state mental health laws and taken to Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown for a psychiatric evaluation.

Landolina said the man was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, after he allegedly bit the DEC officer. A Town of Montgomery sergeant suffered a knee injury.